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Post by Ex on Dec 27, 2020 23:49:51 GMT -5
Triggerheart Exelica is a shmup developed by Warashi for the SEGA NAOMI platform. Originally released in Japanese arcades in 2006, and later released for the SEGA Dreamcast in 2007. The Dreamcast version adds a story mode and an arrange mode. Story mode has voiced cutscenes (in Japanese). Arrange mode has an increased difficulty level and does not have continues. In 2008 Triggerheart Exelica was released for Xbox Live Arcade. The XBLA version features higher definition graphics, new background music, online leaderboards, and achievement points feature. However the XBLA version removed the story mode and arrange mode, though a new ending and new cut scenes based on the arcade version were included. In 2009, a PS2 version released entitled Triggerheart Exelica Enhanced. The PS2 version is based on the Dreamcast version, but adds a new selectable character, new event CGs, an more developed story mode, and a new intro. However, the arrange mode from the Dreamcast version was omitted. As far as publishers are concerned; SEGA published the arcade version, Warashi published the Dreamcast version, Microsoft Studios published the XBLA version, and Alchemist published the PS2 version. Gameplay involves controlling anthropomorphic fighters resembling cute girls with spaceship appendages (called Spec Suits). Each independent girl-ship has unique combat abilities, and will fight through five stages, battling enemy space ships and end stage mecha bosses. One unique feature allows players to fire anchors to catch enemy ships, then use the caught enemy as a shield, or throw it to inflict more damage. There's also a special scoring method, that sees the player balance the length of time gold collectables remain on screen, versus when they're collected. (Sounds weird but works well in practice.) Another innovative feature is an AI-adjusted boss difficulty level (called V.B.A.S. - Variable Boss Attack System), which will cut more slack to the inexperienced player, while attempting to punish the pros. Each boss has multiple forms, but when the boss is in its easier mode, it may not change beyond its first form.
+Ecchi girls that are also attack ships.
+Unusual attack method (enemy ship capture and use). +Fully polygonal graphics are used well for special effects.
+Some fancy and pretty bullet hell patterns.
+The OST is decent.
-No English for the cutscenes, story mode isn't much fun.
-Bullet hell stuff gets kind ridiculous at times.
-Hard to hear the OST due to constant loud sound effects.
-Enemies don't have much creative distinction, just ships and ships.
-Only 5 stages. Triggerheart Exelica is a pretty standard shmup in practice, and won't wow any seasoned vets. The real draws here are the cute spaceship girls, and the anchor grab/shield/toss mechanic. Beyond that, you've got a generic futuristic space shooter theme, buoyed by technically nice though uninspired polygonal graphics. Multiple difficulty options, and adaptive boss AI, means this game can be as easy or hard as one desires. It's also been released on multiple platforms, so availability is fairly high. In the larger pantheon of shmups available for Dreamcast, this one is squarely average, but its unusual aesthetic may appeal. A random thought to close: I kinda wonder if Warashi was inspired by the much older shmup Steam-Heart's when they developed this game.
Ex's time to beat: 35 minutes Ex's rating: 7/10
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Post by Sarge on Dec 28, 2020 0:20:26 GMT -5
I really need to slip in one more Dreamcast title before the end of the year. Just been a bit frazzled over the last few days working on other stuff - turns out staying up too late testing Bahamut Lagoon takes a lot of effort! I've done that, finished (finally) setting up my co-worker's Wii system with some emulators and ISOs of the games he has (and a few more his kids might like, heh), and working on testing all my systems with Paprium, including getting one of my 32X systems to work again. Oh, and Christmas is up in there somewhere.
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Post by Ex on Dec 28, 2020 0:32:57 GMT -5
Sounds like fun geeky stuff Sarge. I spent today removing a large pine tree that fell in my backyard, installing wooden planking in my mother-in-law's barn, then hours trying to help my wife find her lost cellphone. We never found the phone (she had the GPS turned off, so can't track it like that). Anyway, I plan to finish one more short game for this theme (a fighter) maybe tomorrow.
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Post by Sarge on Dec 28, 2020 0:42:05 GMT -5
You're eventually going to run out of falling trees, right? That definitely keeps you busy.
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Post by Ex on Dec 28, 2020 0:46:53 GMT -5
You're eventually going to run out of falling trees, right? That definitely keeps you busy. On the 16 acres we own, about 85% of it's covered in trees, which are mostly pine. A fair many pines are dead due to voracious pine beetles. So those trees just keep on falling. They particularly like to fall over our driveway, into the yard, or on power lines. Cutting up and removing dead pines does get old.
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Post by Sarge on Dec 28, 2020 1:04:05 GMT -5
Yeah, pine beetles suck. We had a copse of them back at the original home out front that mostly got wiped out by them. They didn't spread too much more, though, which was surprising. Trees fall over there all the time (it's deep in the middle of the woods, too), but they're around the pond area more than anything.
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Post by Ex on Dec 30, 2020 0:12:34 GMT -5
Tech Romancer is a 3D fighting game for Dreamcast, developed and published by Capcom in 2000. The Dreamcast version is a port of the 1998 arcade original. Players fight each other or the computer, by controlling giant robots in one-on-one combat. There is a story mode and a versus mode. Studio Nue (anime studio responsible for the mecha designs in The Super Dimension Fortress Macross) designed the robots for this game. The real time graphics are polygonal, but the cutscene artwork is 2D. +Classic anime giant robot theme. +Technical combat requires more than button mashing. +Above average story mode for a fighter of its age (has branches). +Enemy AI is clever and will challenge you. +Destructible objects on the battlefield leave power-ups. -Brutally difficult at first (RTFM!). -Special attack controls are less than intuitive. -The battlefields don't utilize their "3D-ness" much. -Bland background art and lackluster OST. -The final boss has a second form that you have to beat twice. It's not often that I'd recommend reading the instruction manual for a fighting game, but I recommend doing so for Tech Romancer. The fighting mechanics are more complex than they first seem, utilizing what amounts to stances, item use, and obscure combos. The enemy AI in this game is out for blood (or oil?), no mistake... even on default difficulty. If you want a challenging mecha fighter, this is right up there with Frame Gride, here you go. The tough battles and expanded story mode aside, Tech Romancer's presentation is a bit paltry. From a graphical and aural perspective, this game is kinda bland. And once you beat one of the character's story modes, you'll probably never play Tech Romancer again. This is a lackluster, but not uninteresting footnote in the greater lexicon of mecha-themed fighters. I'd suggest Tech Romancer for fans of classic giant robo anime, or mecha-themed fighters in general. But for the average fighting game fan, there won't be much romance here. Ex's time to beat: 45 minutes (I played through Gourai's story.) Ex's rating: 6.5/10- Well gang that's gonna wrap up Dreamcast month for me. I definitely enjoyed this month, and I learned a whole lot about Dreamcast emulation too.
Here's what I beat: Gundam Side Story 0079: Rise from the Ashes | 7/10 Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage | 4/10 Tech Romancer | 6.5/10 Triggerheart Exelica | 7/10
What's Shenmue? | 8/10
I plan to roll another Dreamcast game I've been playing into next month's theme. See you all there soon.
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